Book VII.  Aphorisms 

76.  Hard and Soft 

When man is born, he is tender and weak; 
At death, he is hard and stiff. 
When the things and plants are alive, they are soft  and supple; 
When they are dead, they are brittle and dry. 
Therefore hardness and stiffness are the companions of death, 
And softness and gentleness are the companions of life. 

Therefore when an army is headstrong, it will lose in a battle. 
When a tree is hard, it will be cut down. 
The big and strong belong underneath. 
The gentle and weak belong at the top. 
 

77.  Bending the Bow 

The Tao (way) of Heaven, 
Is it not like the bending of a bow? 
The top comes down and the bottom-end goes up, 
The extra (length) is shortened, the insufficient (width) is expanded. 
It is the way of Heaven to take away from those that have too much 
And give to those that have not enough. 
Not so with man's way: 
He takes from those that have not 
And gives it as tribute to those that have too much. 
Who can have enough and to spare to give to the entire world? 
Only the man of Tao. 
Therefore the Sage acts, but does not possess, 
Accomplishes but lays claim to no credit, 
Because he has no wish to seem superior. 
 

78.  Nothing Weaker than Water 

There is nothing weaker than water 
But none is superior to it in overcoming the hard, 
For which there is no substitute. 
That weakness overcomes strength 
And gentleness overcomes rigidity, 
No one does not know; 
No one can put into practice. 

Therefore the Sage says: 
"Who receives unto himself the calumny of the world 
Is the preserver of the state. 
Who bears himself the sins of the world 
Is king of the world." 
Straight words seem crooked. 
 

79.  Peace Settlements 

Patching up a great hatred is sure to leave some hatred behind. 
How can this be regarded as satisfactory? 
Therefore the Sage holds the left tally, 
And does not put the guilt on the other party. 
the virtuous man is for patching up; 
The vicious is for fixing guilt. 
But "the way of Heaven is impartial; 
It sides only with the good man." 
 

80.  The Small Utopia 

(Let there be) a small country with a small population, 
Where the supply of goods are tenfold or hundredfold, 
more than they can use. 
Let the people value their lives and not migrate far. 
Though there be boats and carriages, 
None be there to ride them. 
Though there be armor and weapons, 
No occasion to display them. 
Let the people again tie ropes for reckoning, 
Let them enjoy their food, 
Beautify their clothing, 
Be satisfied with their homes, 
Delight in their customs. 
The neighboring settlements overlook one another 
So that they can hear the barking of dogs and crowing 
of cocks of their neighbors, 
And the people till the end of their days shall never 
have been outside their country. 
 

81.  The Way of Heaven 

True words are not fine-sounding; 
Fine-sounding words are not true. 
A good man does not argue; 
he who argues is not a good man. 
the wise one does not know many things; 
He who knows many things is not wise. 

The Sage does not accumulate (for himself). 
He lives for other people, 
And grows richer himself; 
He gives to other people, 
And has greater abundance. 

The Tao of Heaven 
Blesses, but does not harm. 
The Way of the Sage 
Accomplishes, but does not contend.